Acetylene-gas-generating lamp.



No. 677,934. Patented July 9, I901.

L. s. BUFFINGTON.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATING LAMP.

(Application filed. June 25, 1697.

' (No Model.) 3Sh'aeis-Sheet 2.

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Patented J ly 9, law,

L. s. BUFHNGTON. AGETYLENE GAS GENERATING LAMP.

(Application filed June 2B, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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' NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEROY S. BUFFINGTON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO BUFFINGTON LIGHT COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

ACETYLENE-GAS-GENERATING LAM P.

srsoitrcanolv forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,934, dated July 9, 1901. Application filed June 23,1897. Serial No. 642,591. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that'I, LEROY S. BUFFINGTON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State My improvements are especially service able in acetylene-gas lamps intended for outside or rough usage,"such as on bicycles, carriages, 85c.

To the ends above noted my invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

When carbid slakes, it increases in bulk, or, more accurately stated,the debris or slaked lime, which is the residue from the reaction between the carbid and the water, is larger in quantity or bulk than the original carbid.

It is the custom to employ in lamps carbid in the granular form or in small lumps, and if this kind of carbid is not held in a compact mass the lamp must sit still or bevery carefully handled in order to secure an even generation and a perfectly steady light. If the lamp is shaken or unsteadily carried about, the generation of gas will not be uniform and the light will vary in size of flame. To meet these conditions, I provide a yielding part for use within the generating-chamber, which' yielding part operates to hold the carbid in a compact mass and permit the residue to expand. I was the first to make any such provision for any such purpose, and hence this feature of the invention is pioneer in character.

The reaction between carbid and water is instantaneous. Otherwise stated, the generation is extremely quick. If water be permitted to flow or drop directly onto the oar-- bid or the carbid be dropped directly into the water, the gas will be produced with a sudden gush or ju1np,-and unless some provision be made to avoidthe same the result of such sudden generation will be a jumping light. To avoid this difficulty, I provide a body of absorbent materiahsuch as blotting-paper, adapted to receive a regulated quantity of feed-water and to distribute the same to the carbid ina finely-divided condition. I was the first to so employ an absorbent material, but first'disclosed the same in an earlier ap plication, which matured into my Patent No. 621,217, of date March 14, 1899, wherein said feature is broadly claimed. In the present application, however, I first disclosed absorbent material for such a purpose, with the absorbent material located in direct and extendf ed contact with the carbid.

It is well known that acetylene gas has a pungent acid-like odor, which is pervasive, penetrating, and unpleasant to human beings ifcontinued foranyconsiderabletime. Hence it is desirable to have means for quickly charging a lamp or other generator with the carbid in such a manner as to entirely avoid or minimize the escape of the gas. Moreover,the debris or slaked carbid is sticky when fresh and hard when dry, and hence the lamp is difficult to clean if the carbid-holder be a part of the fixed structure. To meet these conditions, I provide'anexpansible charge-holder adapted to be preloaded with carbid and handled as a cartridge for charging the lamp or other generator. I was the first'to provide any such charge-holder capable of use as a cartridge and adapted to expand under the increase of the bulk as the carbid slakes when the cartridge is in use in the lamp or other generator. Hence this expansible chargeholder is another feature of invention which is of pioneer character.

Lamps containing the several features.

above noted are peculiarly well adapted for use on bicycles, carriages, and wherever liable to be shaken or otherwise subjected to rough usage. v p

All the said features above noted may of course take manifold forms.

Several embodiments ofmy invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like notations refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating a bicycle-lamp. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through a bicyclelamp. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation showing one of the charge-holders detached. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 00 02 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a central vertical section showing a form of bicycle-lamp containing some parts which differin detail from thelamp shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail, partly in elevation, partly in section, and with some portions broken away, showing portions of the feeding devices employed in the lamp illustrated in Fig. 5. Figs. 7 and 8 are views in vertical section, showing modified forms of the expansible charge-holder; and Figs. 9 and 10 are views in elevation, illustrating diiferent forms of table-lamps containing my invention.

In external appearancea'nd in the general features of the construction the lamps illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 5 are substantially the same. The upper portion a of the lamp is of suitable form to serve as a Water-receptacle and is shown as provided with a contracted neck a, fitted with a plug a having a valve-seat a. The parts a and a have formed integral therewith an expanded portion a adapted to serve as the upper end of a generating-chamber. The part a is provided with a packing-ring a and a screwthreaded annular flange a for receiving the shell f, which serves as the generating-chamber and the lower or body portion of the lamp. The upper end of the shellfis screwthreaded for engagement with the part a above noted. The plug a is screw-threaded to receive the lower screw-th readed end of a regulating-valve b, the stem of which passes out through a frictional packing-gland b which may be of rubber, and is provided with a handpiece 1) on its exterior. The water-chamber a is also provided with an air-inlet a". A feed-wick n is shown as mounted within a holder 71 of pipe-like form within the waterchamber a, which holder or pipe opens to the water 2, near the bottom of the chamber, and then passes upward and around the top, and thence downward along the opposite side of the chamber, and terminates in the plug a The wick 01 extends through a suitable passage in-the plug a below the valve b, and thence downward through the plug and into a tube or pipe 07?, fixed to the plug a and de-- pending therefrom in position to extend near to the bottom of the charge-holder when in working position within the shell or generating-chamber f.

The wick n is composed of absorbent material. The wick n is submerged withinthe water .2 and extends through the lower open end of the depending tube a in the generating-chamber, and said wick is of a size to completely fill the passages for the same in the-plug a and the tube 71 The wick n is so disposed within the plug a as to be subject to a pinching action from the regulating-valve b.

The body portion or generating-chamberf of the lamp is shown as provided with a bracket-clamp f f for securing the lamp to a bicycle or other support. The shell f is also provided with a keeper f to receive the spring-finger p of the flame-chamber or bulls-eye shell 19. The shell f is also provided with a burner f, fitted with a gascock f which burner is of elbow form and has its tip projecting into the flame-chamber. The flame-chamber shell 19 is provided with chimney p, reflector p and lens 13 of any suitable construction.

Having regard to the form of charge-holder illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, the same is shown as composed of a cylinder made up of longitudinally separable sections g and end caps g and g The cylinder-sections 9 have their longitudinal margins constructed to unite with lap-joints g. The cap-sections g and g are flanged to tightly fit by friction over the ends of the cylinder made up of the parts g. One of the cylinder-sections g has sufficient spring in respect to the other to permit the said parts to hold together by friction when properly joined, and when the caps g and g are then applied to the cylinder all the parts of the shell will be firmly held together. The cap member 9 is perforated at its center to pass the tube a when the holder is in working position, and the lower cap (1 is shown in Fig. 2 as provided with a perforated tube'g rising from its center and open at its upper end, which tube g is adapted to receive the tube n depending from the plug a when the parts are in working position. Before applying the cap 9 the shell is loaded by being partly filled with carbid a, as shown in 'Fig. 2, and placing over the same the other parts of the charge holder. These other parts are a piece of blotting-paper or other absorbent material 7t, placed directly over the top of the carbid, a follower 70, placed directly over the blotting-paper 7c, and a spring 1.3 placed over the follower 7.2, with the blotting-paper, the follower, and the spring encircling the tube g which rises from the bottom of the holder. The top cap g is then placed in position and the charge-holder is loaded or in cartridge form, adapted to be applied in working position by placing the same within the shell or body portion f of the lamp, and then applying to the shell fthe upper or cap portion of the lamp made up of the parts carried with the water-chamber a, so to bring the same into the positions relative to each other. (Shown in Fig. 2.)

With the parts as illustrated in Fig. 2 the action would besubstantiallyas follows: The regulating-valve I) being properly manipulated to sufficiently relieve the wick n at the valve-seat a, the water will be fed by the wick a under a capillary and siphon action and be delivered from the lower end of the wick in a finely-divided form and be carried out by the air or by the flow of the water to the carbid ,2 through the perforations in the tube 9 Then as soon as the reaction begins, which is instantaneous, more or less of the moisture, under the action of the heat, will pass upward in the form of vapor or steam in the tube g until it comes in contact and is taken up, more or less, by the disk 70 of blotting-paper or other absorbent material. This will again distribute the moisture in a further finelydivided condition to the top portion of the carbid. Assuming the gas-cock f 5 to be open, the gas will be free to pass out to the burner r 5 f and will be used substantially as fast as gauze sleeve 1.

generated, assuming the valve b to be in proper position and the parts to be properly proportioned relative to each other.

Having regard to the form of charge-holder illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the main or body portion r thereof is shown as of cup-like form, open at its upper end and fitted with a cap-section 0, Which makes a tight or frictional fit with the walls of the cup. The cap-section r of the holderis cen trally perforated to pass the stem portion 0 of a feed-tube r r, the upper end portion of which is of funnel-like form, with a cylindrical rim-section 9', adapted when the parts are in working position to fit over the plug a of the lamp, which in this instance is extended farther into the generating-chamber of the lamp than as shown in Fig. 2. The lower end of the feed-tube 1" is closed, and the tube 7" is wrapped or otherwise incased with a body of blottingpaper or other absorbent material r Outside the blotting-paper r is preferably placed a wire- The tube 1' is perforated. In loading this form of charge-holder (illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6) the cup portion of the shell is partly filled with carbid. The follower 70, with or without the disk of blottingpaper underneath the same, is then applied to the top of the carbid. The spring 10 is placed on the follower k, and the feed device (made up of the parts 7', 0", T and T is applied after the cap T has been placed in position at the top of the cup. The chargeholder is then in cartridge form and is ready for application to the lamp. This is done by placing the same within the shell or body portionfof the lamp and applying the latter to the top portion of the lamp, with the upper end r of the feed-tube in engagement with the lower end of the plug a as shown in Fig. 5; With this form of charge-holder the plug a is fitted with a needle-valve r for controlling the supply of the water. Ports r lead to the seat of the needle-valve 4". Having regard to the action, the needle-valve r is properly set to afford a properly-regulated supply of water, which will pass by gravity into the tube 0 and thence out into the blotting-paper or other absorbent material 1*, which will distribute the same to the carbid in a finelydivided condition. In this instance it will be noted that the blotting material r around the feed-tube r is in directand extended contact with, the carbid. The water-supply of course should be regulated to be kept within the limit of saturation of the absorbent material T The charge-holder illustrated in Fig. 7 is similar in construction and in action to that illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, with the exception that the perforated feed-tube has its section 8 fixed below to a disk 3, fitting the shell or body portion of the holder, and the cap r of the shell has a central perforation of sufficient size to pass the enlarged upper end portion of the feed-tube. This is to facilitate cleaning of the shell in case it be desired to reuse the same. With the form of chargeholder illustrated in Fig. 7 the tube, with its disk 8, is first placed in position within the body of the shell before the shell is loaded with carbid. Then the other parts are applied as described in connection with the form illustrated in Fig. 5.

In the form of charge-holder illustrated in Fig. 8 the body portion 1' and the cap 1' are of the same form and occupy the same relation as in the form of holder shown in Fig. 5; but the follower 7c is shown as provided with a multiplicity of perforations k and below the same is applied to the top of the carbid (not shown) a body of blotting-paper or absorbent material it, and above the follower is and underneath the cap r is placed a body of sponge or other compressible absorbent material t, which when saturated will expand more or less, and from which the water may be forced to a greater or less extent by compression. With the form of charge-holder shown in Fig. 8 the body of sponge or other compressible or absorbent material 15 itself affords a yielding part which will to a limited extent perform the same function as the spring 10 shown as embodied in the other charge-holders. The action is not materially different, with the exception that the water would be delivered directly from the needlevalve seat to the sponge t and from the sponge through the perforated follower 70 to the blotting-paper 7c and be by this distributed to the carbid. A further difierence would arise from the fact that as the follower 70 would move upward under the increase of bulk from the slaked carbid, the sponge would be compressed more or less, and thereby afford an increased water-feed, which would in a measure compensate for the absorbing qualities of the residue and possibly insure a steadier light.

The charge-holder, as illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and '7, is to be preferred over the forms illustrated in the other views.

It is obvious that all the charge-holders illustrated are adapted to be preloaded and then to be applied in working position within the lamp or other generator and there afford a yielding part, or, in other Words, be expansible, so as to hold the carbid at all times in a compactbody, while permitting the increase of bulk due to the change of form under the reaction. It is further obvious that these charge-holders might all be preloaded and be hermetically sealed by a suitable wrapper in any suitable way for storage and shipment, ready to use at distant points. The chargeholder of course might take other forms than those shown as long as it had the expansible feature and adaptation to preloading for use as a cartridge.

In the student-lamp illustrated in Fig. 9 the generator 1; is mounted for vertical adjustment on a supporting-standard v fitted with the customary clamp v The generator 1; is provided with a gas-pipe and burner 12,

to which is applied the customary shade c The generator Q) is of proper construction to afford a water-receptacle at its top to supply the feed-water in substantially the same way as in the lamp illustrated in Fig. 5, has a removable bottom, preferably of cup-like form, and is of such construction as to permit any of the charge-holders shown in Figs, 2, 5, 7 or 8 to be used therein.

In the hand-lamp shown in Fig. 10 the generator w is shown as provided with a gas-pipe 10, having burner 10 and this lamp is of such construction as to aiford a water-receptacleat its top for supplying the regulated quantity of water to the carbid, and is also provided with a removable bottom through which the charge may be applied. It was noted that the water-receptacle a had an opening a to the atmosphere.

In all the lamps described any excessive gas which may tend to accumulate in the generating-chamber beyond what can be properly consumed at the burner can escape to the atmosphere by passing upward through the feed-water passage and thenthrough the body of water in the chamber a, and out to the atmosphere through the air-hole a This serves two functions: itprevents excessive overgeneration and checks the flow of the feed-water automatically. This feature is identical in action with that disclosed and broadly claimed in my prior patent, No. 621,217 of date March 14, 1898, in claim 6 thereof.

It should be noted that in all the chargeholders herein disclosed the absorbent material employed to receive, drink up, and then distribute the feed-water to the carbid is not only in direct and extended contact with the carbid,but is disposed across the water-inlet thereto, so that the water can only reach the carbid by first passing through the absorbent material.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Lettcrs Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination with a chamber for carbid calcium, of a yielding, movable part, which confines the carbid and residue in a compact body, which yields on the expansion of the carbid due to its decomposition, and means forsupplying a regulated quantity of water to the carbid.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an expansible charge-holder adapted to be preloaded with carbid and to be handled as a cartridge for charging a lamp or other generator, substantially as described.

3. In a generator adapted to generate gas from a liquid and. a solid gas-producing substance, a chamber to contain the solid and a liquid-reservoir, a body of absorbent material adapted to be saturated with the liquid gasproducing substance, and having direct and extended contact with the solid gas-producing substance, and a controllable liquid-inlet for supplying a regulated quantity of liquid to said absorbent material, whereby the said absorbent serves to limit and distribute said liquid to said solid, substantiallyas described.

4. A charge-holder for acetylene-gas lamps, or other generators, containing carbid and having an absorbent material in direct contact with the carbid and across the line of the water-feed theret0,substantially as described.

5. An eXpansible charge-holder, for acety lene-lampsor other generators, containing carbid and an aborbent material in direct contact with the carbid, and across the line of the water-feed thereto, substantially as described.

G. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination with a chamber for the carbid, of a movable part and a spring which cooperate to hold the carbid and residue in a compact mass, under yielding pressure, and to permit the same to expand, under the increase of bulk, when the carbid slakes, and means for affording a regulated supply of water to the carbid, substantially as described.

7. In an acetylene-gas lamp or other generator, the combination with a movable part and a spring cooperating to hold the carbid and its residue in a compact mass, within the generatingchamber, under a yielding pressure, of a body of absorbent material in direct contact with the carbid and across the water-inlet, and means for affording a regulated supply of water to said absorbent material, substantially as described.

8. In a generator adapted to generate gas from a liquid and a solid gas-producing substance, a chamber to contain the solid and a liquid-reservoir, a body of absorbent material adapted to be saturated with the liquid gasproducing substance, with the same disposed in the form of a tube extending through or substantially through the body of carbid, for affording direct and extended contact therewith, and a controllable inlet for supplying a regulated quantity of liquid to said absorbent material, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. In a generator of the class described, the combination With a carbid-holder having a movable part adapted to pass water and subject to the pressure from the expanded prod- IIO nets of decomposition, of a sponge or other rounding said tube and adapted to compress body of compressible absorbent material conor compact the carbid in said chamber, yet

fined and subject to compression under the yielding in the expansion of said carbid due expansion of said products, when the parts to its decomposition, substantially as and for r 5 5 are in working position, substantially as dethe purposes set forth.

scribed. In testimony whereof I aifix my signature 10. In a lamp or other acetylene-gas gen- I in presence of two witnesses. orator, a fount or generating-chamber con- LEROY S. BUFFINGTON. taining carbid or similar matter, a perforated Witnesses: to water-feeding tube traversing said chamber, l LILLIAN O. ELMORE,

and a spring-controlled cap or follower sur- F. D. MERCHANT. 

